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A farmer from Kaharoa is the latest candidate to join the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers Association's council contenders.

Lachlan McKenzie has been endorsed by the association's financial members as a councillor candidate for the 2019 local body elections after Peter Jones split from the group at the end of June.

McKenzie said, if elected, his top priority would be to improve efficiencies within the council, minimise rates rises, reform infrastructure expenditure, reduce the dependency on debt growth and cut waste.

He was announced as an endorsed candidate on Tuesday and association chairwoman Glenys Searancke described McKenzie as "an impressive potential spokesperson for the rural sector on council".

McKenzie was raised on a farm, studied agricultural science, worked in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and started his own farming businesses. He has farmed in Kaharoa for 25 years.

Secretary Reynold Macpherson said the association's members were also "impressed by his focus on improving the quality of district governance by ensuring all groups in our community are listened to and respected".

"He wants council to adopt a culture of public service so that our community prospers."

McKenzie has previously spent time on the Federated Farmers national board and advised Rotorua Lakes Council on economic development and central government on small business enterprise and land and water sustainability.

He replaces Peter Jones who resigned from the association to run as an independent candidate on June 30.

Jones was the third of the association's original seven council candidates to withdraw from running for the council on behalf of the association. In April Wilhelmina Mohi withdrew completely and Kevin Coutts decided to run independently.